Tuition and Fees and Room and Board over Time

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Between 2008-09 and 2018-19, average published tuition and fee prices rose by $930 (in 2018 dollars) at public two-year colleges, by $2,670 at public four-year institutions, and by $7,390 at private nonprofit four-year colleges and universities.

Table 2: Average Tuition and Fees and Room and Board (Enrollment-Weighted) in Current Dollars and in 2018 Dollars, 1971-72 to 2018-19

The increases in the net prices that students actually pay, after taking grant aid and tax benefits into consideration, have been smaller over the long term than increases in published prices. See Figures 8, 9, and 10 for details on net prices over time.

The price increases reported in Table 1 are higher than those in Table 2 because they are not adjusted for inflation.